It was grand times; the usual shoutings and packed multitudes, the usual crush to get sight of Joan; but at last we crowded through to our old lodgings, and I saw old Boucher and the wife and that dear Catherine gather Joan to their hearts and smother her with kisses—­and my heart ached for her so! for I could have kissed Catherine better than anybody, and more and longer; yet was not thought of for that office, and I so famished for it.  Ah, she was so beautiful, and oh, so sweet!  I had loved her the first day I ever saw her, and from that day forth she was sacred to me.  I have carried her image in my heart for sixty-three years—­all lonely thee, yes, solitary, for it never has had company—­and I am grown so old, so old; but it, oh, it is as fresh and young and merry and mischievous and lovely and sweet and pure and witching and divine as it was when it crept in there, bringing benediction and peace to its habitation so long ago, so long ago—­for it has not aged a day!

Chapter 26 The Last Doubts Scattered

This time, as before, the King’s last command to the generals was this:  “See to it that you do nothing without the sanction of the Maid.”  And this time the command was obeyed; and would continue to be obeyed all through the coming great days of the Loire campaign.

That was a change!  That was new!  It broke the traditions.  It shows you what sort of a reputation as a commander-in-chief the child had made for herself in ten days in the field.  It was a conquering of men’s doubts and suspicions and a capturing and solidifying of men’s belief and confidence such as the grayest veteran on the Grand Staff had not been able to achieve in thirty years.  Don’t you remember that when at sixteen Joan conducted her own case in a grim court of law and won it, the old judge spoke of her as “this marvelous child”?  It was the right name, you see.

These veterans were not going to branch out and do things without the sanction of the Maid—­that is true; and it was a great gain.  But at the same time there were some among them who still trembled at her new and dashing war tactics and earnestly desired to modify them.  And so, during the 10th, while Joan was slaving away at her plans and issuing order after order with tireless industry, the old-time consultations and arguings and speechifyings were going on among certain of the generals.

In the afternoon of that day they came in a body to hold one of these councils of war; and while they waited for Joan to join them they discussed the situation.  Now this discussion is not set down in the histories; but I was there, and I will speak of it, as knowing you will trust me, I not being given to beguiling you with lies.

Gautier de Brusac was spokesman for the timid ones; Joan’s side was resolutely upheld by d’Alencon, the Bastard, La Hire, the Admiral of France, the Marshal de Boussac, and all the other really important chiefs.